Intensive Level Historical and Architectural Survey of the "Warehouse District" in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa

Spark Consulting; McCarley, Rebecca

From executive summary: "The Intensive Level Historical and Architectural Survey of the "warehouse district" in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa, is part of a phased program to identify, evaluate, register, and protect the cultural resources of Burlington. The Burlington Historic Preservation Commission and community leaders have completed historic preservation projects in several areas since the 1970s. A Planning for Preservation study was completed in 1999 to make recommendation for future projects and work. The survey of the "warehouse district" was recommended through this previous work and developed locally with interest in potential redevelopment of buildings in this area...The survey area is centered on 3rd Street from Valley to Elm and the blocks between the Valley and Market from Front to 5th Street. Burlington, located on the Mississippi River, is of the oldest communities in Iowa and historically one of the largest communities. The town of Burlington was immediately settled after the Black Hawk Purchase was complete on June 1, 1833, and it grew as a river community and crossing point for settlers into Iowa. By 1839, the population was reported as around 1,500. It grew to 4,082 by 1850, and it was the largest community in Iowa. The Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy railroad arrived in 1855, spuming increased development with this second transportation connection. The population grew to 6,706 in 1860 and boomed to 14,930 in 1870 with a railroad bridge across the Mississippi River opening in 1869. Dubuque and Davenport, also river communities with railroad connections, grew similarly in this period, and Burlington was the third largest community in Iowa in 1870. Population continued to grow to 19,450 in 1880 and 22,565 in 1890. In this period, Burlington developed a significant manufacturing and wholesale base. Retail businesses took the opportunity to expand with ready markets in distant states via the river and railroad... The purpose of this project was to undertake an intensive level historical and architectural survey of approximately 45 properties relating to the manufacturing and wholesale houses in Burlington south of downtown in the area dubbed the "warehouse district." Research was conducted to develop a historic context relating to this history to evaluate the historic resources surveyed. The primary goal of the project was to evaluate a potential historic district and identify boundaries and contributing buildings. The buildings were evaluated for individual eligibility as well. A total of 45 historic resources (built by 1965) were surveyed, as well as one later building. Three of these buildings were demolished in May 2010. Iowa Site Inventory forms were filled out for each property, including name, date, address, a narrative description, and a statement of significance. A photograph and map accompanies each form. Through this survey, there appears to be an eligible Manufacturing and Wholesale Historic District on the south side of Burlington that includes 31 surveyed buildings with approximately 26 contributing resources and five non-contributing resources. Outside of the contributing resources in this identified historic district, there are six surveyed properties that appear to be individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places." Funding for this project was provided in part through a 2009 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Burlington (project number IA-09-062) administered by the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 19-09-21840) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Burlington, Iowa is a Certified Local Government.

Intensive Level Historical and Architectural Survey of the "Warehouse District" in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa

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